Melania Trump broke a long-standing tradition by not attending the first presidential debate of the 2024 election cycle last night.
The former first lady was not around when former President Donald Trump deboarded his plane in Atlanta, Georgia ahead of the event, according to reports.
Trump also exited solo as President Biden's wife, Dr. Jill Biden, made her way to the stage to greet her husband and escort him to the moderators' table.
Melania has not been very active in the public eye since Trump announced his current campaign in November 2022.
"It's just not her comfort space and I think it's a real loss because first ladies are typically helpful on the campaign trail with women, with undecideds, and she has a very compelling story and she's good at telling it," a source close to Melania told The Hill back in April. "I respect her for doing something she doesn't want to do but you have to look at it as a detriment to her husband's campaign."
Part of the reason Melania is staying out of the spotlight is reportedly because she wants to avoid talking about her husband's legal battles.
She notably did not attend a single day of Trump's hush money trial in New York, where he was convicted of 34 counts of falsifying business records connected to an alleged hush money payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels to keep quiet about their alleged affair.
In an interview last fall with Megyn Kelly, the former president talked about why his wife of more than 20 years has kept such a low profile.
"I think part of the beauty is that mystery," he said. "She doesn't need to be out there... she has confidence. She has a lot of self-confidence."
Trump said Melania doesn't miss the spotlight -- and people respect her for that.
"She's doing very well she's very strong, very even keeled and she's a very good woman," he said. "She's a very calm person, it's very interesting, and I think that's what people like about her."
"The people really like her," he added. "And she was a really good first lady."
If Trump is reelected, don't expect to see more of Melania. While she may embrace the role of first lady, she likely wouldn't move back to the White House, her former friend and aide Stephanie Winston Wolkoff told Newsweek. Melania "never wanted to be there in the first place" Winston Wolkoff said.